Vin Diesel may have built his reputation in the action genre, and when he’s not starring in his multiple franchise roles as either Fast and Furious’ Dominic Toretto, Pitch Black’s Richard B. Riddick, XXX’s Xander Cage or Guardians of the Galaxy’s Groot, he can generally be found trying to launch new ones in the likes of The Last Witch Hunter and Bloodshot, but the 52 year-old didn’t exactly burst onto the scene with grand designs of conquering the market on vest-wearing heroes.
Instead, Diesel got his break by writing, producing and directing his own original projects in the mid-90s, with the buzz surrounding his early efforts in Multi-Facial and Strays gaining the attention of Steven Spielberg, who gave the actor his big break by casting him in Saving Private Ryan. In fact, the legendary filmmaker still laments the fact that the gravel-throated star hasn’t gotten back behind the camera since.
One of the more forgotten entries in Diesel’s filmography though just hit Netflix, and it isn’t exactly surprising that it became lost to the sands of time, given that Knockaround Guys arrived in 2001 sandwiched between The Fast and the Furious and XXX, the two movies that established him as Hollywood’s newest action star.
The crime drama revolves around a big score that goes wrong for several aspiring gangsters and while it’s hardly groundbreaking stuff, the movie boasts a solid cast that includes Barry Pepper, Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich. It also showcased Diesel’s early promise as a more straightforward dramatic actor before he became permanently distracted by fist-fights, shootouts and car chases.
Knockaround Guys was a box office disappointment that couldn’t even earn back the $15 million budget in theaters, but with Vin Diesel currently one of the biggest names in the industry, there’s no doubt a lot of his fans will be checking it out now that it’s available on Netflix.
Published: Jul 2, 2020 11:33 am